LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 69

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70 CONVENTION SERMON

believe that the inspired Scriptures are the sole source
and norm of Christian doctrine . . . the ultimate guide
for faith and life.

St. Peter says: “We did not follow cunningly de-
vised fables when we made known to you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)

We believe that God made all things by His creating
Word and power. And so we call Him “Father,” not
“To Whom It May Concern.”

We believe that Jesus Christ came into the world by
a supernatural way to fulfill the Law for us and to suf-
fer and die in our stead and that He rose from the
dead, as the Scriptures said He would. We worship
a living Lord, who commanded dead Lazurus to come
forth from the grave! Because if He had not said “La-
zarus,” He would have had the whole graveyard of
Bethany coming out in response to His command.

We believe that this risen Christ ascended to heaven
and that He is interceding for us now and that He is
coming again to judge the living and the dead. He is
more than human “Superstar” ... He is divine Christ,
and coming Judge and living Lord.

By His mercy, we believe that Baptism is God’s
miraculous way of adopting us as His children, and that
Holy Communion is the eucharistic sharing of Christ’s
body and blood for the strengthening of our faith and
the forgiving of our sins. When we are wrong and
repent, Holy Communion helps us to change; and when
we are right, the blessed Sacrament makes us easy to
live with.

And we praise Him that He assures the future of our
church, as long as we remain faithful to His Word.
Written and lived! For years we have listened to those
who have urged us to “Get relevant.”

We would agree with that call for relevance but we
would also insist that in getting relevant, we remain
reverent before the God of the Scripture who gave us
the inspired and inerrant Word, the chief message of
which is the Gospel.

Christ said: “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring
to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John
14: 26)

That’s a promise from God .. . and He keeps it! No
church permanently divided against itself on the ques-
tion of Biblical authority can endure, much less prosper.

Our Lord said “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes,
He will guide you into all the truth.”

We are brothers and sisters in the family of faith,
empowered and equipped to carry this Word and work
to the world. Because we are sinners, we make mis-
takes and we find our Synod imperfect; but Synod is
ours and His ... His by the blood, ours by the faith.

“From heaven He came and sought her To be His
holy bride, With His own blood He bought her And for
her life He died.”

Glorying in His mercy we join hands to help others
before it is too late for them! That’s what Synod is all

about . . . walking and doing God’s work together for
people!

A few years ago, in a small American town, a new
family moved in. They found it hard to break through
the cold cliquishness of that village.

This new family didn’t feel at all welcome until an
accident occurred. Late one afternoon, as the sun was
setting on a cold day, their 6-year-old child wandered
away from their backyard. They lived near a wheat
field, and the mother and father frantically began a
search for their daughter, but could not find her.

It became colder and darker when suddenly neigh-
bors began to appear; people they had not even met

. of various social strata and background . . . but
all their searching was to no avail.

Finally the mayor of the town said to them: “Be-
fore it is too late, let’s all join hands . . . and form an
unbroken line and we will go up and down this field
until we find the child.”

Sure enough in 30 minutes they found her .. . half
frozen, but alive. Her life was saved.

What the parents have never forgotten were the
words of the mayor: “Let’s all join hands before it’s
too late.” What a magnificent invitation that is for
all of us!

We face great challenges, the threat of war, doctrinal
controversy, social inequities, immorality, crime, pollu-
tion .. . a breakdown in the very fabric of society it-
self. We must join hands before it’s too late.

And in this time of severe challenge, loyalty and
determination are not the least of the qualities we need
to ask of God’s Spirit .. . Christ didn’t look to the left
or to the right. He allowed nothing to deter Him from
going to the cross. The Bible says in Luke 9:51: “And
it came to pass when the time was come... He stead-
fastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”

As we seek to fulfill our mission in Him, we should
know that we cannot win the world for Christ if we
pit a lukewarm church against a burning paganism!

Our lack today is not primarily an absence of know-
how or understanding! The failure of many is in faith
and obedience! Those who are committed to Christ
will always find a way.

Luther said, “If Moses had wanted to understand
the end .. . how he could escape the army of Pharaoh,
Israel would still be in slavery in Egypt today.” As to
churchmanship, Luther did not say “Here I sit.” Theo-
logically, he did not say “Here I lean.” He said: (in
effect) “Here I stand, walk, and run with the risen
Christ.” And now its our turn!

I believe there is a stirring today in God’s people
that has the signs of becoming one of the great periods
of renewal in the history of the church.

We need to get our church body more fully on the
move again in more aggresive evangelism, a broader
concern in conservation and greater participation in
relevant worship. On the move in sparking effective
ministries to those in special need . . . the deprived,
the sick, the lonely, the youth and the aged. Our Synod
is the vehicle that God has given us to be in mission,

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